Quotes of small-cap biotech Esperion soared. It will be bought by a private investment company

Shares of Esperion Therapeutics, a small-cap maker of cholesterol-lowering drugs, soared nearly 56% on Ma. 1, to a two-month high. He said: it plans to be acquired by funds managed by Archimed, a private equity firm specializing in health care.

Esperion's stock price rose nearly 56% to $3.11 on the Nasdaq on May 1, its highest level since the end of February 2026.

Investors reacted to the pharma manufacturer's announcement that it is planned to be bought by funds managed by Archimed Investment Company. They valued Esperion at $1.1 billion or $3.16 per share. This is 58% higher than the value of the securities at the close of trading on April 30, a day before the deal was announced.

Esperion's current owners could receive up to an additional $100 million in two tranches that depend on future sales of the company's drugs.

The transaction has already been approved by Esperion's board of directors. The parties plan to close the transaction in the third quarter of 2026, subject to approval by the small-cap company's shareholders and regulators. After that, Esperion's shares will no longer be listed on the stock exchange.

Esperion develops and markets therapies for cardiometabolic diseases. Two of them are designed to reduce levels of "bad" cholesterol, which reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. They are already approved in 40 countries.

The third is a nasal spray to treat swelling associated with heart failure. It was developed by Corstasis Therapeutics, which Esperion bought just a month ago.

For 2025, the company reported revenue growth of 21% to $403.1 million. Esperion attributed these results to expansion in the U.S. market, including insurance coverage for more patients.

At the same time, reporting on 2025 results, announced Vision 2040 program to create a multidisciplinary company and expand into rare kidney and liver diseases. Broker Noble Capital Markets believes Archimed can accelerate Esperion's international commercial strategy through its specialization in healthcare.

Esperion securities were among the top 10 most popular biotech stocks among hedge funds for the fourth quarter of 2025.

After the announcement of the deal with Archimed, investment banks Jeffries and HC Wainwright downgraded their ratings on Esperion shares and now advise to hold them. Their recommendation is supported by three other Wall Street analysts, one of whom gave the company's stock a "buy" rating. The average price target on Esperion shares is $3.55, which is 12% above Archimed's suggested price target.